The Presidency

Inaugural Address                                January 20, 1981

Assignment #7

"We hear much of special interest groups. Well, our concern must be for a special interest group that has been too long neglected. It knows no sectional boundaries or ethnic and racial divisions, and it  crosses party lines. It is made up of men and women who raise our food, patrol our streets, man our mines and factories, tech our children, keep our homes, and heal us when we're sick-professionals, industrialists, shopkeepers, clerks, and truck drivers. They are, in short, "We the people", this breed called Americans".

What Reagan was saying in the above quote in my eyes was that, special interest groups have been neglected long enough in America. He explain how those who are within theses special interest groups can be anyone of any race, gender and religion other hand known as the American Citizen are the one taking care of the homes and streets of other civilian. Since he was against FDR during the time, I believed he uses his confidence in Americas to take power out of Washington and return it to the states and the people. 

I selected this part of the passage because here Ronald Reagan Spoke about Housewives who don't get paid just do their part in order to keep their family in order. I also sleeted this passage because Reagan was very cleaver with his choice of words. It is a reality of the people who are citizen of the American country that do more than labor from their job description.  

Congress

"What 60 years of Political Gerrymandering Look Like"

By: Christopher Ingraham 

Assignment #6

"Pennsylvania and New York have lost congressional seats over time. But Pennsylvania gerrymandering scores have risen steadily, while New York's peaked around the 98th Congress and have declining ever since. Texas had nearly doubled it's congressional representation since 1950, and its gerrymandering average spiked in the 103rd Congress, dipped in the 108th, and shot back up in the 113th. Maryland's number of districts had been relatively flat, and it's gerrymander scores have fluctuated considerably". 

This section of the article to me means that the gerrymandering scores which are the boundaries in which it favor one electoral party, were risen in Pennsylvania and NewYork the peaks are falling. An advisory board New York set up to help monitor gerrymandering within there has been a shift that occurred. Although the legislature is not required to do what the committee ask of them- the board shows to have an influence in the amount of boundaries that politics seem to do right under congress noses. 

The reason for me selecting this section in the article is due to the fact that it gives example of how some of the major states is falling one sided as far as what party their representing. It also illustrate congressional size, compactness and lastly shape. Also it was also new to me what the term, "Gerrymandering" meant, I always thought that more Democrats live in cities similar to mine which is NewYork and the Republican lived in the rich cities. Clearly it's beyond that, it also amazing that in 60 years come states remain loyal to the political party they are in favor of and vice versa.  

Equal Rights 

T.H Marshalls on Social Rights

Assignment # 5

"It is no longer merely an attempt to abate the obvious nuisance of destitution in the lowest rank of society. It has assumed the guise of action modifying the whole pattern of social inequality. It is no longer content to raise the floor-level in the basement of the social edifice, leaving the superstructure as it was. It has begun to remodel the whole building, and it might even end by converting a skyscraper into a bungalow". (pages 153-154)

https://bbhosted.cuny.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-22105993-dt-content-rid-110545485_1/courses/LEH01_POL_166_H01_1159_1/marshall-citizenship-and-social-class.pdf

In the second to last paragraph when T.H Marshall stated this passage in his Citizenship and Social Class novel, my interpretation of this is that today in the twenty-first centry the explantions of what principle best fits the citizen of the State is at lost. As direct tax payer also as a State that its now so economically revoled history isn't able to do what it needs to do for the people. Th quoted passage above is saying social rights is no longer trying to improve, it's no longer trying to help the low class get the help and care they need to be "caught up" or "on the same page" as some middle class or high class citizen. Everything is now to a point where it's rebuilding the whole meaning on the "rights" that people felt that they where required to get from the state.

The reason for me selecting this passage is due to the fact that although now they maybe different opinions on what place politicians have on the citizen when it comes to what kinds of education, healthcare, etc are provided, however social welfare use to be in the hands of government. This is something that the United States can manage to do currently but don't want to make the finical risk. Off the record the U.S.A spend over 80% of their money out of country and  on war. Imagine if that money was used wisely as if was back in President Clinton time in office. Back on record public school and healthcare at minimum should be provided to the citizen of the state. If other countries can do it so can we, the system in America need to stop robbing the rights of it's citizen. Let's get the political system back to how it use to be.

Revisiting the Constitution: Clarify What's Cruel and Unusual Punishment

By: Rachel E. Barkow 

Assignment #4

"The Constitution has failed to check this pathological process. The Eighth Amendment bans "cruel and unusual punishments." But some justices do not think this bans excessive prison terms. And the requirement that a sentence be "unusual" has meant that the justices often do little more than count up states with similar sentences without looking at how states reached those outcomes".

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/07/08/another-stab-at-the-us-constitution/revisiting-the-constitution-clarify-whats-cruel-and-unusual-punishment

From this quotation I've read from Rachel E. Barkow was the shocking truth. The interoperation I've received is that the eighth amendments in some form have many loopholes that some states are able to get away with. First the eighth amendment reads, "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted". Prohibition against "cruel and unusual" punishment, this phrase originally was to outlaw methods of punishment—such as torture, burning at the stake, or crucifixion that where to harsh for the level of crime that a individual have committed. Yet theirs the death penalty in some states which some feel it’s a fair form of justice. However it is not just the sentences a person may get from court but also the conditions of the prison. This amendment also apply to the jails the overcrowding, rape from inmates, insufficient medical care, protection from inmates and the unsanitary cells are forms of “cruel and unusual” punishment for some. The quote indicates that the constitution fails to check the process within states. The "cruel and unusual punishments" seem to only apply to largely people of color. Politicians often aim for longer and harsh sentences when it's a minority who've been involved in a crime- despite the crime being soft or hard, empirical evidence is never considered.

The honest reason I've select this quote is because not only and I a women of color, but the minority group are continually fighting against politicians for change. The eighth amendment have effect many communities, destroyed many family and even caused death to many. The loop hole is that the evidences in many cases aren't being evaluated. If there's two poor evidences against a person they shouldn't be sentences to 40+ years. If this was a journey that all race experiences then that will be a different story. I believe many of us know or heard stories where the White man will get less or a more soft punishment compared to a man of Color that will either die in jail or spend more than half of his life in their. Sadly we are in the 21st Century and those of color are still suffering, from slavery, to segregation, to not being able to vote and now victims of a cruel injustice system. Of course they are people of color committing crimes, I'm not justifying that at all, but will a white man or women receive the same punishment if they committed the same crime? 

The American Political System 166 H01 (Lehman College)

The Constitution of the United States

Assignment #3

Article 1 (Legislative Branch)

Section 6 (Compensation)

Clause 1: "The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States. They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place."

Clause 2: "No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office."

Reference from above passage  (http://hobnobblog.com/2009/08/the-constitution-of-the-united-states-article-i-section-6/)

My interpertation of this section of the Constitution was the clarification of who  grants congressmen their salary which is the government. I also got the understanding that people who serve congress have "legislative immunity", which means they can't be charged with anything they say during congress meeting. To ensure the people who serve this profession that the president can not abuse his power on them for disagreement. The understanding I've got from the second clause of this section was those who serve in either executive or judicial branches of the United State government is unable to serve in Congress and the same in reverse. 

I've selected this section of the Constitution, because it was new to me. I always assumed that people who serve in the House of Representative or Senator was able to take another governmental job. I always thought that majority of the corruption that happens within the political house was due to the fact that chairmen or women was able to take another side of the government if they weren't happy with the work or decision that were taking action in representative house. It was also knew to me that what "happens in congress stays in congress". A congressman or women was unable to be arrested during meeting based on what they said, wheater it was outrages or illegal it was safe within congress. Of course unless it was a major criminal act, but if it was only words they are safe. I founded that inserting, because that clause is due to the fact that the president is unable to abuse his power if a person disagree with him or her.  

The American Political System 166 H01 (Lehman College)

Two Faces of Power

By: Peter Bachrachand Morton S. Baratz 

"The advantage of this approach, relative to the elitist alternative, need no further exposition. The same same may not be said, however about its defects-two of which seem to us to be fundamental importance. One is that the model takes no account of the fact that power may be and often is, exercised by confining the scope of decision making to relatively safe issues. The other is that the model provides no objective criteria for distinguishing between important and unimportant issues in the political arena."(Peter B and Morton S- page 948)

From this section of this passage, it reveled that power is exercised in more than one model. The two authors elaborated on one model confines the decision making to safe issues- as the other model provides no objective for distinguishing between the needed and the unneeded area in the political system. The political system excises and practice among the community testing how to handle "important issues" and what to do with the "unimportant" ones.

I've selected this part of the passage because it simply divided the power of the political system in 2 simple phase "important" and "unimportant". It gives the shocking fact that the power excised by those in charge only seem to show interest in what they and the general public believes are main issues. If only the general public sees that changes need to take action those who are in power ask them self is this important or unimportant issue in the long terms. This section of the passage also helped me understand when the political system uses their "safety net" when they see possibly conflicts with the general public. It makes me wonder, "Is the political system even designed to help the community?" "Who are they to say an individual problem is unimportant?'